Regional manufacture and assembly of vehicle and vehicle structure

Abstract

Aspects of regional vehicle assembly and distribution are disclosed. A system of regional vehicle assembly and distribution includes a regional site, an assembly point, and a distribution point. A method comprises aggregating confirmed vehicle orders from the distribution point arranging the manufacturing and assembling at regional sites of primary vehicle structures and exterior and interior components based on the type of the confirmed vehicle orders and arranging the delivery to the assembly point of the primary vehicle structures and exterior and interior components. The method further includes instructing the assembly point to assemble a vehicle associated with the confirmed vehicle order.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing at least one primary vehicle structure comprising at least one computing device of at least one distribution point associated with a confirmed vehicle order for at least one vehicle assembly, comprising:
 instructing, by the at least one computing device, a first regional site to form at least one primary vehicle structure individual part, as defined by a vehicle manufacturing bill-of-material for the at least one confirmed vehicle order from a material selected from a group consisting of mixed metals and composites and combinations thereof;   instructing, by the at least one computing device, the first regional site to assemble the at least one primary vehicle structure individual part into the primary vehicle structure as defined by the vehicle manufacturing-bill-of-material of a first vehicle type, followed by assembling the at least one primary vehicle structure individual part into the primary vehicle structure as defined by the vehicle manufacturing bill-of-material of a second vehicle type;   instructing, by the at least one computing device, the first regional site to arrange a subset of the assembled primary vehicle structures into a group of orders based upon a first color specified by the vehicle manufacturing bill-of-material;   instructing, by the at least one computing device, the first regional site to arrange a subset of the assembled primary vehicle structures into a group of orders based upon a second color specified by the vehicle manufacturing bill-of-material;   instructing, by the at least one computing device, the first regional site to paint at least one assembled primary vehicle structure in the group of orders associated with the first color;   instructing, by the at least one computing device, the first regional site to paint at least one assembled primary vehicle structure in the group of orders associated with the second color; and   arranging, by the at least one computing device, the regional site to deliver the at least one painted primary vehicle structure to the assembly point wherein the painted primary vehicle structure is received at the assembly point after being painted at the first regional site.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein delivering, by the at least one computing device, the at least one painted primary vehicle structure to the assembly point associated with the at least one confirmed vehicle order, comprises the steps of:
 aggregating, a subset of the plurality of painted primary vehicle structures into a group of orders based on a type of vehicle specified in the subset of the plurality of confirmed vehicle orders; and 
 arranging, the delivery of the group of orders to the assembly point based in part on a predetermined vehicle assembly sequence. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the confirmed vehicle order specifies a vehicle order-to-delivery time and a geographic location of the assembly point for the vehicle assembly, associated with the painted primary vehicle structure. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the predetermined vehicle assembly sequence defines a delivery time to the assembly point of the group of orders of painted primary vehicle structures and synchronizes the delivery time of the group of orders of painted primary vehicle structures with the delivery time to the assembly point of the group of orders of the exterior and interior components.